He stands up on his hind legs and paws at the glass for a full minute. Outside, leaves tumble down the street, but the rain hasn’t started yet. The lights flicker, then with a quiet pop, go out completely. Shit.
The electrical in this house is held together by bubble gum and a prayer.
After I find my flashlight, I check the breaker box in the basement, but everything looks good. The wind must have taken down a power line somewhere.
I’m stacking wood in the hearth when someone pounds on the front door. My gut clenches until a man’s voice carries from outside. “Raelynn? It’s your neighbor, Chip. I need help…my son. He…he fell. I can’t get to him.”
Through the small windows at the top of the door, I catch a glimpse of a tall man wearing a damp white t-shirt and jeans. He wrings his hands, then knocks again. “Raelynn? Please answer!”
I flip the lock and throw the door open. “She’s not here. What happ—”
The punch snaps my head back. There’s a small crack in the ceiling. Why is that suddenly all I can think about? My arms windmill, finding nothing but air.
Pain explodes across the back of my skull. The edge of the plywood looms over me. Along with a shadow. Two shadows.
Muffled voices. Dark hair. The man in the white t-shirt.
“Get him to the plane. We’ll find out what the woman knows.”
I roll onto my side. Can’t let them hurt Raelynn. The couch is so far away. Where are the lights? It’s getting darker. Quieter.
Stay awake!
I can smell blood. Mine, I think. Someone kicks my shoulder. I’m on my back again. Staring up at a face that’s not a face. Just two dark eyes and white teeth.
I take a swing at the hazy shape, but come up empty. A shoe slams down on my wrist, pinning it to the floor. “No…” The word sounds like I’m under water.
“Shut him up.”
A heavy weight straddles me. I should know what to do. But I can’t think.
The next punch splits my lip. Blood fills my mouth. I can’t hear anything but my own heartbeat roaring in my ears. Something tightens around my wrists, biting into my skin.
There’s a pinch to my neck. Then I’m on my feet. Stumbling. A man on either side of me.
Rain pelts my face, clearing the haze over my eyes. A black SUV idles at the curb. No. I can’t let them put me in the car. My arms and legs start to feel heavy. Cold.
Thrashing, I’m almost free when the one on the left jams something small and hard against my ribs. “Keep fighting, and we’ll torture that pretty thing for days before we let her die.”
My thoughts are almost clear. Enough to know they’ll hurt Raelynn anyway—if she doesn’t kill them first. I kick at him, but whatever’s wrong with my legs…it’s getting worse. I’m off balance. I crash into the other man, and he shoves me, hard. Laurel branches slice my cheek and neck. The large bush stops me from hitting the ground, but the two men grab me again. A third rounds the SUV. “Fucking idiots,” he mutters as they shove me face down into the back seat. “Someone’s going to see us.”
I try to push myself up, but my muscles won’t listen. I’m so tired. Why can’t I move? The door in front of me swings open. “He’s almost out,” a voice says. It sounds strange. Like my ears are filled with cotton.
My lower lip is swollen and still bleeding. I spit blood onto the floor mat. “Wh-what…do you…want…?” Each word is harder than the last. My eyelids are too heavy. Can’t keep them open.
I shouldn’t sleep. A tiny voice in my head tells me to stay awake, but I don’t listen. Raelynn. I need…Raelynn. Where…is…
Chapter Nineteen
Raelynn
By the time I make it home, it’s after six. I should have ordered a pizza and skipped the grocery store. The wind and rain turned the highway into a parking lot, and I’ve been in the car for over an hour.
The house is dark, along with half the others on my side of the street. Shit. The power goes out every time there’s a storm.
Warmth pools in my core. This is the perfect excuse to build a fire and spend the night curled up on the couch in Nash’s arms. Dinner by candlelight, maybe a glass of wine… I’m grinning like a fool before I get out of the car.
With a full bag of groceries balanced on my hip, I unlock the door and toe it open.
